Steam drier



' Dec. 13, 1938. H. L. TAFF 2,139,985

STEAM DRIER Filed March 29, 1957 -|NVENTOR:

HUGH L. TAFF ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 29,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in steam driers and more particularly to a steam drier for locomotive boilers.

The principal object of the present invention is 5 to prevent spray from being carried into the locomotive dry pipe by the velocity of the steam being delivered by the boiler.

Another object is to so arrange the apparatus that the velocity of the steam is slowed up for an interval prior to the entry of the steam into the dry pipe. This allows any spray suspended in the steam to settle out and any mist to evaporate into steam.

Another object is to preclude, as far as possible, 18 the entry of water into the steam drying apparatus.

Another object is to avoid retarding the delivery of steam from the boiler.

Another object is to so design the apparatus that it may be installed in existing locomotives without modifying the boiler structure.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of simple and inexpensive construction.

Other objects and advantages appear as the description progresses.

In this specification and the accompanying drawing the invention is disclosed in its preferred form. It is to be understood, however, that it is not limited to this form because it may be embodied in modifications within the purview of the claims following the description.

In the one sheet of drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of the upper portion of a locomotive boiler having this invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the steam drier removed from the locomotive boiler.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view in horizontal section taken along the line IVIV in Fig. 2, and showing the ports for admitting steam to the drier.

In detail the structure illustrated in the drawing, referring more particularly to Fig. 1, comprises the conventional locomotive boiler having the cylindrical shell I with the fire tubes 2 therein. The water level is maintained at 3 above the tubes 2. The steam dome 4 is riveted to the shell I above the opening 5. The dry or steam delivery pipe 6 mounted in the brackets I has its open end 8 upwardly disposed within the steam dome 4 and extends laterally to the forward end of the boiler. The structure thus far described is the conventional locomotive boiler, several modifications of 1937, Serial No. 133,598

which are available to the trade. The present invention is equally applicable to any of the several forms of locomotive boilers in use.

The steam drier comprises the oblong steam pan having the bottom 8 with the sides 9, I and the ends II, I2. The sides 9 and III are provided intermediate their length with the lateral flanges I3, I 4 which are adapted to be riveted to the boiler shell I to mount the pan immediately beneath the steam dome 4 forming the chamber A. The end I2 of the pan is cut away as at I I, see also Fig. 3, to clear the dry pipe 6. The ends II and I2 terminate a short distance below the shell I leaving the openings I therebetween. The sides 9, Ill have their top edges I6 inclined downwardly from the flanges I3, I4 to the lower level of the ends I I, I2. This leaves the openings I6 between the sides 9, II] and the shell I. These openings I'I progres sively decrease in width toward the center of the pan and vanish adjacent the dome 4. The edges I6 of the sides 9, II] and those of the ends II, I2 are provided with the short outwardly disposed lips I8 which cooperate with the entering steam as will be later described. I

The lower ends of the corrugated sheets I9, 20 are welded to the junction between the ends II, I2 and the bottom 8 of the steam pan. The corrugated sheets I9, 20 are inclined outwardly from the ends 9, I0 and terminate near the shell I. The tie rods 2I support the weight of the corrugated sheets. The sheet I9 has the opening I9 therein to pass the dry pipe 6.

The corrugated sheets 22, 23 are similarly mounted with respect to the sides 9, II] of the steam pan. The corner angle sheets 24 enclose the space between the adjacent ends of the sheets I9, 22, 20 and 23. The strips 25 are fixed on the bottoms of the corrugated sheets to close the lower ends of the corrugations therein. The outwardly presented corrugations of the sheets have the elongated ports 26 therein for the admission of steam into the drier. The combined area of these ports should be substantially greater than the cross sectional area of the dry pipe 6. If this condition is fulfilled, the drier will not decrease the delivery Velocity of the dry pipe.

The steam pan is drained by the transverse louver openings 21, 28 in its bottom 8 which are disposed toward the ends 9, II) respectively. The space between the pan and the corrugated sheets drains into the pan through the perforation 29 in the sides 9, I9 and ends II, I2.

If desired the steam drier can be constructed of a plurality of small sections. The sections may then be passed through the usual man-hole and the drier assembled within the boiler. This enables the invention to be applied to existing locomotives.

The apparatus operates substantially as follows: The steam rising above the surface of the water at 3 carries with it a certain amount of mist and spray. This carrying off of spray is unavoidable particularly when the boiler pressure is reduced by increased speed of the steam engine.

This mixture of steam and spray rises upward toward the region of lower pressure existing in the drier and impinges upon the corrugated plates [9, 20, 22 and 23. The steam enters the drier through the ports 26. The greater momentum of the spray tends to throw it in the hollows of the corrugated sheets which slope away from the ports 26, see Fig. 4. V

The steam rising from the ports 26 passes over the sides 9, I B and the ends H, l2 through the openings l5 and I! into the chamber A. The lips 18 create a region of relatively low velocity therebeneath. Spray projected into this region by its own momentum strikes the walls of the pan, drains downward, passes through the perforations 29 and flows on to the bottom 8 of the pan. l

The steam entering the chamber A, which is of large volume relative to the restricted entrance thereto, has its velocity proportionally reduced. Any spray remaining therein then settles out and drops on to the bottom 8. Mist in the steam, consisting of particles too fine to settle out, is afforded an opportunity to volatilize by the reduced velocity of the steam. a

The dry steam finally rises from the chamber A, passes into the steam dome 4 and enters the dry pipe 6 to be subsequently delivered to the steam engine in theusual manner. The progressive reduction of the width of the openings ll toward the flanges l3, l4 prevents the entry of steam into the chamber A immediately adjacent the steam dome 4. This insures all the steam travelling the requisite distance at low velocity within the chamber A to eliminate its suspended water before entering the steam dome.

The steam passing over the openings [5 above the ends ll, l2 reverberates against the shell I and is deflected therefrom toward the bottom 8 as indicated by the arrows. The drainage louvers 21, 28 are so located with respect to the path of travel of the steam, that the skin friction of the passing steam assists in forcing water accumulated in the pan through the louvers against the steam pressure beneath the bottom 8.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. A steam drier for boilers having a steam dome; a dry pipe communicating with said dome; and an oblong pan of greater horizontal area than said steam dome and having a fiat bottom, the central portion of the top edges of the pan being fixed to the shell of the boiler immediately adjacent said dome, the top edges of the end of said pan being flanged outwardly and spaced from said boiler shell, the top edges of the sides being also flanged outwardly and sloping downwardly from the central portion thereof to said end, and said bottom having a pair of transverse upwardly projecting louver openings therein spaced from said end, the upwardly projecting portions of' saidlouver openings being directed toward said end. 7

Z. A steam drier for boilers having a steam dome; a dry pipe communicating with said steam dome; and an oblong pan of greater horizontal area than said steam dome and located there'- beneath and having a water outlet in its bottom; the central portion of the top edges of the sides of said pan being fixed to the shell of the boiler immediately adjacent said steam dome, the top edges of the end of the pan being spaced from said boiler shell, and the top edges of the sides sloping downwardly from the central portion thereof to said end; corrugated sheets having their lower ends fixed to the bottom of said ends and sides of said pan and inclined upwardly therefrom. and having elongated slots in their outwardly presented convex portion; and strips fixed on the bottom of said corrugated sheets and closing the lower end of the corrugations therein.

HUGH TAFF. 

